I'm not your knight in shining whatever
by hanabiaki
Summary: The minute Futaba appears, Kou eyes would follow her. And what a knack for trouble she possessed, so it would always be Kou who saves her. But he does not want to be her knight in shining armour. He wants.. something else..
1. I'm not your knight in shining whatever

'This is why, I think you should be more careful towards the people around you!' Yoshioka Futaba agitatedly pointed a finger at a shaken looking old lady leaning tediously on her walking stick.

The hoodlum in question put his pinky to his ear and returned a scornful look, 'I would have watched it if I could see her, she just turned the corner so ain't it obvious that the fault is not mine should I knock into someone I did not see?!' He blew off the dirt from his fingertips and towered over Futaba, his voice raised loudly the next time he spoke, 'And I don't need a meddlesome school girl telling me what to do!'

He raised a hand so suddenly that Futaba was unable to react fast enough, so she crossed her arms before her face in defense, as she waited for the blow to fall on her.

But it never happened, she waited for a few more seconds before dropping her tensed shoulders and peered upwards to check on the situation. A tall boy with flowing black hair had jumped in between the hoodlum and herself, and he was defending her with a raised fist of his own.

'Kou..?'

He turned to face her with a scowl, and Futaba knew instantly that she was in another round of trouble. Her eyes helplessly traced the features of her rescuer, with his back against the morning sun, his slender face and toned muscles formed a graceful arc. And she wondered, if someone of his size, would be of any match against that rugged hoodlum.

'Ooooooooooi! There's a mad man bullying an old lady and a young school girl here! Would somebody come and take a look at this shameless man's face!' Kou's voice travelled down the street and the busy line of human trail turned to face the mismatched group. The hoodlum immediately turned and left with shame, but not before throwing a rude gesture with a certain finger on his hand.

'Che! Gutless spine with nothing but a loud voice.' Kou's tone was trickling with sarcasm as he watched the hoodlum leave with void eyes. Futaba felt a wave of relief wash over her and added to his snide, 'He's all talk and no action, that's why.'

That's when Kou's eyes immediately flashed of anger and he turned to glare at her with such intensity, she could feel the radiation burn through her skin like an x-ray. 'YOU- INSOLENT- FOOL! A girl like you, even if you're usually less than a lady, should remember to judge the situation! That was dangerous and you would have been pummelled had I not been in the area!'

Futaba pulled her hair from the sides of her face together to form a weird bunch and hid her face behind its curtain. She knew that Kou was mad, really mad, and she wanted to apologize to him seriously but right now her face is blushing from joy. _Kou stepped in and saved me, even if his words are harsh, I feel protected. Gah! I'm so happy!_

'Anybody home? Oi, Yoshioka? Did he hurt you or what, you're acting strange. Retort, or something if you're alright?'

Futaba decided there and then. He was there, at the right moment, that's destiny. He may have a nasty temper, but a heart of gold, that's character. He was thinking on her behalf, even when she failed to do so for herself, that's gallantry. To her, he is her knight in shining armour.

'Kou, thank you for saving me. You were like a knight in shining armour!' Her face was blushing as she revealed her honest thoughts, in that straight-forward and unhiding manner she always carried herself. But her smile was as bright as the morning sun, and Kou felt himself hesistate.

'Ugh, what's that? You're still at a pre-school level huh? Thinking about knights and princesses, I saved you so I don't have to explain your demise in school, idiot!' He then turned away to walk down the street, resuming his way to school.

_Ah, that's right. Kou won't think that way of himself. Justice, or merits or things like that, Kou had his own obstinate opinion on things. I almost forgot. _

They continued their way to school and the morning ended peacefully, at last.

But when Futaba entered the classroom from the school canteen empty-handed, Kou could sense something amiss, again.

She was looking down most of the time, and her steps devoid of its usual gait and steadiness. When she reached her desk, she slumped over it and heaved a long sigh.

_What with her now? The bread got all sold out, and she's depressed or something?!_

He had to find out. Kou walked over to her desk and dropped his clean gym coat over Futaba's head, but gained no reaction. He repeated it a few times yet she remained passive. This worried him greatly, so he pulled her wrist and took off with her and his lunch.

Just as they were about to reach the rooftop door, Futaba recoiled from his touch and took a step back. Her eyes were fixed on the door, and her mouth gaping with her shocked expression. Kou felt his heart clenched, something was definitely wrong here.

'Why did you bring me back? How did you know?!'

Kou scratched his head with the hand that was holding her wrist, unsure of what to do or say, 'Know... what?'

'Eh? The confession, how did you-'

_Confession?_ Kou tightened his grip on his bentou, he mouth twisted uncomfortably. _Who did she confess to on the rooftop?_

'Your confession failed?' He asked her tentatively.

'No, his confession fail- Ah! How did you get me to say it all out! It's supposed to be a secret!'

He sighed, unsure why was it that he felt the need to heave a long sigh, 'Who confessed to you?'

Futaba glanced at him quickly from the corner of her eye, 'I don't really want to tell you.'

He felt irritated and agitated, somehow against all common sense, he wanted to pursue on the topic. 'Tell me, you're looking too troubled to let me make fun of now. Quickly resume your normal self. Tell me.'

Futaba pursed her lips and casted her eyes down, her long lashes hiding part of her eyes, and Kou hated that. _Why is she not looking at me now?_

'It was the senior, the really good looking one that every girl is talking about. He said, that he liked me because I was different. I'm not sure if I understood him, but I couldn't even accept that sort of reasoning. Of course everyone's different, but that doesn't mean he should fall in love with me or base his feelings on that! So I rejected him, and he looked rather dejected and I felt bad. So I agreed on one date with him.'

Kou had to fight back the impulse to bang his head on the wall, but he continued to learn passively against the wall. 'Hmmm. So you're dating him out of sympathy. How cruel a woman you are, Yoshioka. Are you giving him a chance, or prolonging his misery?' _Tell me clearly, which is it?_

Futaba's eyes grew wide in horror. She knew that telling him was a mistake, maybe it was the morning's incident that made her falsely believe that he would always be a knight in shining armour. 'I'm sorry I wasted your time with this! I- I better get going!'

Before she could take two steps, Kou pulled her back with a strong hand and the dynamic of their movement caused her to fall back against his chest. Her back was warmed instantly and her heart danced at an incredible tempo. 'Kou?'

'Eat something before you go, you can't get any bread now. So I'd share my bentou with you. My silly brother always prepares too much anyway.'

Futaba glanced upwards at Kou's expression, what face is he making behind his long bangs? She wanted to see. She unconsciously lifted her hand to sweep away his bangs, and gasped in surprise when she saw his slightly blushing face. But it was a complicated expression, between the frowning lines near his brows she sensed a tinge of honesty rarely seen. 'Kou, are you helping me again out of a sense of duty?'

He straightened Futaba back on her feet and sat down to lay out his bentou. 'I'm helping you because you're full on guts but zero on wits. It's like watching a kitten try to fight a tiger, so I'm helping. But don't call me what you did this morning, I'm not your knight in shining whatever.'

Futaba smiled at Kou's words. Whether he is being kind, or not, she still cannot tell. How sly. 'Ho ho, then what should you be?'

Even with his eyes hidden neatly behind his bangs, she could detect a slight smile on his face. 'Who knows?'

_- Chapter 1 End -_

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_


	2. I'm not always the damsel in distress

'Kou! It's fine! You don't have to go with me!'

Kou's passive eyes turn to meet Futaba's intense irises, his look pronouncedly un-amused. 'If you are capable of doing that, would you not have rejected him the very first time?' Futaba took a startled step backwards, and dropped her eyes to avoid further contact. It was true. Somehow she had made a bigger mess of things. Recalling back, she had only agreed on the one-date plan because the words from the popular senior had struck a personal chord with her. And that's the way she is, always easily influenced, and at times it really creates her very own demise.

'Why did you even agree to something that you would regret afterwards? I still don't get how that mind of yours works..'

'That's because I understand his situation, liking someone that you don't seem to have a chance with. If the love of my life rejected me, I would be very depressed. I might get clingy. I might wish for just one day filled with happy memories in exchange for the love I have, if I cannot have it any other way. It's pathetic, I know. But I get it!'

Kou halted in his walk but he did not turn around this time. Futaba's eyes were affixed on his back, her mind chanting a little prayer.

_Turn around, turn around, turn around, turn around!_

But Kou kept on walking after the brief pause, and Futaba felt her heart drop to her stomach. _If he had turned around, and asked me why, I would have confessed. That was the kind of moment and I might have done it!_

'You know, you still don't get it. If the other person agreed to the one day, but he was dreading it, won't you be doubly hurt? Nothing good can come from a love so forced, and I don't blame you for dreading it just that the least you could do is respect the other person? Yoshioka?'

It was now Futaba's turn to stall her steps, she never wondered about that possibility, and it was plain selfishness on her part to have hoped for that other party to be naturally gentle towards her. A bead of tear rolled over her cheek, she was the meanest girl ever, and she had always considered Kou the distinction of meanies.

With a swish of her hand, she wiped away her tears on the back of her hand and ran to meet up with Kou. Fifteen minutes' walk ahead of them, the senior is waiting for her. She imaged herself in his shoes, should he see the girl of her date coming along with a guy, he would undoubtedly be crushed. Raising her right hand and placing it over Kou's shoulder, she gave a firm push and Kou doubled back. 'What- ?'

'Kou, don't go. I, I made a mess of everything and I know how I need to fix it. You've already opened my eyes to everything, so please let me fix it with my own hands. It's not right for me to depend on Kou for this.'

_Not like it won't be tempting to depend on you, Kou._

_Not like I would mind becoming your strength the way you are mine, Futaba._

But their thoughts never left the tip of their tongue. Kou gazed the top of Futaba's hair, for today she had a cute braid running down the side of her bangs, she did it for the senior? A certain sense of unease washed over him and a vibe of impulse ran through his veins, but he remained in control and watched Futaba coolly. 'Yeah, sure, do that. I'd be going off then since you won't need me.' He walked off in his usual nonchalant no-flip manner and Futaba was left with his back view.

'Kou! Thank you for being there for me!'

'It's fine. Just don't call me a knight or whatever!' He turned and flashed his usual confidant smile and Futaba felt a twinge of regret. _Ah, saying that meant that we would have to part ways, but there's no helping it._

'That's fine. I'm not always a damsel in distress either! I'd prove it!'

The amusement park was filled with its usual crowd of couples and family clusters, but the senior was easy to distinguish with his polished fashion sense and lean, tall body. Futaba winced haplessly as he flashed his killer mega-watt smile. _Waaa, I'm the enemy of women now am I not. _

In the next fifteen minutes, their conversation was plagued with Futaba's constant apologizing and awkwardness. The senior held Futaba with a disappointed gaze but after witnessing her bows to apologize for a few times he felt weakened. 'Ah, it can't be helped, Yoshioka-san. Your honesty is the reason I fell for you after all. And I do appreciate your considerations, it is true, if we had gone on with the date and I sensed your feelings I may have felt like a villain. Your honesty saved me from that at the very least.'

Futaba regarded the senior with eyes filled with admiration, _such a great guy!_

'The truth is, I have someone I like now. And when I heard your words from before, I was moved because I understood the feelings. But that person also reminded me to consider from another perspective. I'm glad that worked out.'

The senior's smile faltered slightly, but he nodded in understanding. 'May luck be with you on that, Futaba-chan. At least, let me call you that once!'

They parted ways at the end of the conversation, and Futaba felt refreshed. The senior was a great guy, and she realized that if fate had not allowed her to cross path once again with Kou, the ending may be different. _Kou, I want to see you._

'You're done already? That's fast, I hope you were gentle and not brusque like your usual self, that would give him the ultimate disillusion.'

'Kou!' Futaba ran towards the smiling boy leaning on the playground where they parted ways earlier. She almost ran him down in her reckless running speed, and he caught her before she did. 'Oops, watch it! You really have an incredible face when you run, and apparently zero athletic good sense.' She leaned into his warmth and held her arms around his waist, slightly, just slightly she felt him stiffen.'

'Was it that bad? Well, you did well. Good girl, good girl.' He patted her head softly, easing into their hug.

_It went well, but just let me be this way for the moment, Kou._

_- Chapter 2 End -_

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	3. How are we friends?

'She's an idiot!'

Kominato looked around him in a flurry, hoping that no one from their clique was in sight or the girls will definitely to be enraged. He had already grew accustomed to Kou's usual outburst of blunt emotions, and he also knew when to sense the mood and read further into the situation. 'Uh, Kou, but Futaba-chan did what you had suggested, so why that would be considered wrong by your standards?'

'You don't think so? Have you _seen_ that senior, he's the heartthrob of almost every sane girl in his level and he was even blind to all of Futaba's faults so why did she reject him?!'

Kominato grinned inwardly, _Ah Kou is either being blunt or boastful - I really cannot quite tell his intentions behind this._

'Kou, you better not be caught talking about the senior like that, girls who like you are going to be heartbroken.'

Kou wheeled around to confront Kominato so quickly the later almost stumbled to the floor on his rear. 'Why.' His fiery gaze bore right into Kominato's panicked ones and they looked like a bull and bullfighter locked in a challenging stance. 'I mean, it would have sounded like you had _feelings_ for the senior or something, of course!'

Kou gave a deflated sigh and turned to walk away with a yawn, 'That's all you meant. Your imagination makes no sense to anyone else but yourself, Kominato, just so you know.' Alerted by Kou's usual jab, Kominato furrowed his brows and returned his snide with his own jibe, 'Or! They could infer something else about the way you and Futaba-chan - Fuuuuuuu!'

Kou had pushed Kominato into the stairway corridor so abruptly that Kominato could hardly breathe. When Kou finally released Kominato, his voice rumbled throughout the stairway, 'Don't say such things carelessly! Futaba is a girl you know, linking us like that carelessly, what are you thinking?!' Kominato could have sworn that a blush had crept across Kou's face before he concealed it carefully with a look of arrogance.

'I don't mean to intrude on your personal feelings, Kou, but could you be a little more consistent? Sometimes, you display signs of jealousy and protectiveness over Futaba-chan like you and her have something going. And yet sometimes, you hardly seem to care about the way you speak about her. If you are going as far as to be jealous of your friend -'

'What do you mean?'

'That time at your house we were studying next to each other when you crossed an arm between me and Futaba-chan. Try explaining your way out of that.'

'Geh!' Kou pretended to choke on a laugh, 'I'm not allowed to be a glutton for chips?'

'If that's what you wish to say, that's fine. You don't have to say everything clearly to me. I'm your friend so I know how to read between the lines.'

Kou shoved his hands into his pocket and walked away in long lazy strides as he responded idly, 'Is that what friends do?'

'Yes, trying to know what crawls beneath their friend's skin. That's what I'd do for a friend I want to know better.' Kominato replied firmly.

Kou stopped in his steps and wanted to retort with something, but hesitation took a grip on him and he swallowed back his unkind words. 'Alright, point taken, I'd just have to try and adjust the levels of your imagination so it hits closer to reality.'

Later that day, Kou found himself in the routine of Futaba's company again - this time for class rep duties. Noticing that Futaba was even more restless than usual, he felt compelled to know the reason for her erratic behaviour. 'What's up with you now, Ms Strange and Stranger?'

Futaba jumped in her seat, evidently startled and flustered, her eyes evading contact and her ears pinked up. 'What's with you constantly changing the way you call me, then? You just called me Futaba this morning, and now you're giving me a new nickname. Is this some new sport of yours?'

'Ah, she's finally normal.'

_As if I could ever return to normal after our hug the other day._

A few more minutes passed in silence and Futaba's eyes sneaked glances at Kou's profile periodically, each cycle shorter than the previous. He gave a sigh in defeat and snapped face-to-face with Futaba at such a close distance she could catch a wisp of his usual cologne. Instinctively, she stopped breathing, but the scent was so inviting, she helplessly took another whiff.

'You. You like to get under my skin too. Are you trying to be my friend, like Kominato?'

Confusion plagued Futaba's mind and an alarm rang internally, 'Kominato smelled Kou?!' 'No, that's not it! Ah, you pervert! What I mean to say is Kominato mentioned earlier how friends usually instinctively get under each other's skins. I'm asking if you're doing that too, trying to get me lose my cool all the time.'

'I make Kou lose his composure?'

'Yeah.'

'I get under your skin?' Futaba's cheeks pinked up involuntarily.

'Yeah, I suppose.'

Futaba took a deep breath and readied herself for her next attack, 'If Kou feels so uneasy around me all the time, how can we ever be friends?! Kominato just wants to know Kou better, so Kou would feel comfortable in his presence. Kou doesn't feel composed with me right, I don't think we're friends, for now.'

'Yeah.'

Futaba looked up at Kou questioningly: _Does he have to sound non-chalent all the time? _But a lingering smile can be traced from the soft features of Kou's face, and Futaba knew that he was feeling anything, but composed.

'Do you think we're friends, Kou?'

Kou chuckled and rested his head on a palm as he studied Futaba's blushing profile, 'I guess we're not friends.'

_How sly._

_**-End of chapter 3-**_

_Don't forget to give a +fav or +review if you liked the author's effort. Small encouragements like this are power fuels for us! :)_

_And this will continue with a few more chapters, so +follow if you would like to keep reading it! *^^*_

**To my reviewers:**

Thank you! I'm sorry that I don't know your names Anons, but I totally agree with what one of you was saying there just isn't enough AHR fanfics out there. I am always imagining strange scenarios like Kominato, might as well churn them into a fanfic, Fufu!

I'm also torn about the latest chapter I read and so I'm trying to navigate and read deeper between the lines, because I think Kou is such a person! He's such a tease! GAAAAAH! -regains composure-


	4. I don't wish to hurt you but I could

'No way!'

Tanaka-sensei frowned at that up-turned nose and hardened his gaze, he had expected that frivolous answer but he was not planning to just give up at this stage. He held out his hand and waved a bag full of books before Kou, 'These are supplementary material I got from the bookstore, even if you find it pointless to go through these alone, you could share them with your friends? And Kou, it really is important -'

Kou interrupted Tanaka-sensei's routine lecture and grabbed the bag of books, it was the only way he could escape from this persistent act. 'I'd take the books, and read them _only_ if time permits since I might have other things to attend to.' Kou walked away and Tanaka-sensei could not help revealing a crestfallen face, he dropped his head and shoulders in slight defeat. 'Kou, if you don't mind having dinner tonight..'

'Busy. See ya.'

When Kou turned the corner and Tanaka-sensei was finally out of sight, he sighed out loud and kicked a paper ball lying close to his feet.

'What are you doing sighing like an old man and kicking paper balls irresponsibly like a five year old?' The voice was a familiar voice he had gotten used to hearing almost every day - it was sweet yet forceful and always filled the air with an energetic vibe. 'Oi, Futaba. What's with you reprimanding young souls like an old woman yet sounding immature like a five year old?' Kou grinned proudly at his own comeback.

Futaba perched her hands on hips indignantly and stuck a tongue at Kou, 'That's unoriginal. You merely took my words and spun it against me. And I do not sound like a five year old! Do I?' Kou sniggered at Futaba's confused look and kicked the paper ball towards her, 'Why would you care how you sound like, you would just shout your thoughts out loud whether you sound like that or not.'

Futaba's voice dropped down to a whisper as she evaded Kou's eyes, 'It's not like I can say _certain_ things out loud.' Kou raised an eyebrow and regarded Futaba's evasive behaviour curiously, 'Futaba's whispering, how rare.' He took a step closer and leaned in against Futaba, his nose grazing the crown of her hair, 'What's the big secret, Futaba?' The low decibel tones resounded loudly in Futaba's ears and she felt a wave of flurry tossing in her stomach, _how am I supposed to reply to that?!_ Kou leaned in closer, and finally bent down to pick up the paper ball next to Futaba's feet. They were so close, she could hear his breathing - slow and deliberate, as if he had been regulating his breathes to be at this specific rhythm.

Futaba's cheeks flushed violet, then red - she had held her breath ever since they came into close proximity and now that she's breathing normally again, the emotions rushed to her head. 'No secret, it's not like Kou is particularly interested to hear my problems out right?' She looked out of the window deliberately to escape making eye contact with Kou, her heart was pounding like a racehorse and she needed a distraction. That's when she noticed the bag of books in his hands.

'Oh, you're holding books, how rare! What's the occasion? Finally, you're getting in the mood to prepare for mid-terms?' She flashed her usual sunshine smile and Kou felt torn between wanting to pursue their original conversation to following the flow of the conversation. 'My brother wants me to study although seriously there's no need to insist on being in special class or whatever. It all amounts to nothing in the end.' Futaba watched Kou intently and then proceeded to snatch the bag from his hands, 'Let's study together. These books, they're really good! I always wanted to get them but you got to them first. If you feel lazy or just plan to escape from the library, then I'd just go over to your house to read through them. No worries, if you're so intent to let me overtake your score then simply lend these to me with an open hear-'

Before realizing Kou's movement, Futaba found herself cornered against the wall by Kou's lean frame and his hands effectively blocked all possible escape routes. 'What's with that careless talk, Futaba? Making casual suggestions like going over to a guy's house, haven't I warned you before about your status as a girl, you ought to be more wary?' The overwhelming close proximity and Kou's scratchy voice made Futaba's mind go pleasantly blank and she unconsciously reached her hand out to grab onto his sleeve.

'Kou, you're doing this again. Stop it, I trust Kou and I'm not -'

'You're right, I don't wish to hurt you but I could. Nobody knows what could happen, don't go around with complacent thoughts thinking you'd be regarded like a princess and -'

'That's not what I MEANT!' Futaba's shout rang through the deserted corridor and students who stayed behind after school poked their heads out of the classrooms to watch the commotion. 'Even if Kou thinks I have a horrid voice or a princess personality, or am just complacent and never thinks for people around herself - I'm not like that! I want Kou to work hard too, and I don't want you to work hard by yourself. You may not regard me as a friend, but I want to help you nonetheless!' Kou winced at Futaba's sudden outburst and felt a pang of regret for his careless words. Maybe he went a little too far this time. 'And I meant that I'd go over with everyone else, at the very least I know Kou would not enjoy my singular company!' At that last sentence, she threw her fist half-heartedly at Kou to push him back then turned to run away.

He instinctively reached out to grab on to Futaba but she was already out of his reach, and he watched her run down the halls helplessly. Like a deflating balloon, he lets out a long sigh and let her angry words repeat in his mind.

Contrary to her own presumptions, he never said he hated her voice. He liked the contagious happiness that gets to him whenever she spoke and the girlish tone that never sounded deliberate but naturally charming. He'd give anything to have the chance to hear that voice now.

_**-End of chapter 4-**_

_Don't forget to give a +fav or +review if you liked the author's effort. Small encouragements like this are power fuels for us! :)_

_And this will continue with a few more chapters, so +follow if you would like to keep reading it! *^^*_

**To my readers:**

When I read through Ao Haru Ride I often wondered why there was never like a real outburst from Futaba. (I would have?) I thought it would be interesting to watch Futaba fight her own stand against Kou and his dubious intentions. I believe Kou is gentle at heart, but his actions often depict otherwise as a cover. So most of time I watch Kou and Futaba's relationship the way I watch a yo-yo swing - even at the low points I believe they will gain momentum and move forward once more. So this was a slightly experimental plot, hope you'd like it too.


	5. Being there for you

The next few days continued in its everyday affair and neither Futaba nor Kou mentioned their fight to anyone. Futaba still carried around her energetic vibe wherever she went and would occasionally take on her usual role of a care-taker and reminded everyone to work hard on their studies. Almost everyone, with Kou significantly left out of the equation.

Kou had noticed her behavior, it was not like she took extra subtlety with this, and their friends sometimes gave him a questioning look regarding their awkward disposition with each other. Yet Kou continued to act like Kou and hardly minded the lack of attention from Futaba. _If she wishes to lose the connection with me, that's her choice, so there's nothing I can do about it right. _

He had thought that the situation would be temporary so he made no intention to make contact with the taciturn Futaba. When she continued to give him the cold shoulder in the third week count of the situation, he started to feel irritated. He made attempts to walk alongside her on their trips to the canteen but she conversed with anyone but Kou who was right beside her. He would sit close to her in the library study-sessions which always triggerered her to hit the shelves for reference books and then returned to sit next to Makita or Murao. Whenever they parted ways for home, the two of them went in the same direction with no conversation, and several times Futaba has who was always a few steps behind Kou, sneaked off to somewhere else without notification. Kou sighed when it happened for the twelfth time, surely, he has to put an end to this situation.

By the fourth week, he was beginning to feel anxious. He could not quite understand why he felt that way, there were perfect reasons to justify Futaba's aloofness and he had his own reasons to say the things he said. Futaba was too oblivious of herself as a girl, and the way she used the carefree tone while talking to Kou made him realize her lack of defense. _Why would she trust me to this extent and say things like that?_ He viewed her as a girl, a very pretty girl he used to like and she had a charming personality that seems to transfuse energy into the air wherever she went. Other guys have noticed that too. He had been wishing ever since their reunion that she would stop seeing him as the young little boy from the past now - he's a teenage boy now and she should have realized that. Things have been _different _since a long time ago.

That day, Kou was absent from the study session at the library and Kominato joined them with a bag of books from Kou. Futaba picked up a book and her eyes grew wide, 'This, this is the study guide...' Kominato rolled up his sleeve and took a seat next to Murao, 'Yup! It's the branded series of study guides and really expensive, I thought it was very generous of Kou to lend it to us especially when he has somewhere else to be today!' They continued to go through their class modules and the study guide proved to be very beneficial so they extended their session till the library had to close for the day. As they parted their individual ways, the sun hung low in the orange sky and the air turned chilly as the sun slowly descended to rest. Futaba walked her way back home in deep thoughts and she suddenly felt lonely now that she was once again left to ponder on Kou's mysterious ways. Just as she walked past the shrine where she and Kou used to take shelter in, her eyes unconsciously shifted to where Kou asked her for a date to the summer festival. Just like the way it was in her memories, Kou stood up and greeted her with a smile, but the Kou before her eyes have grown taller, had a sturdy build and was incredibly handsome in the orange light.

'Yoshioka,' Kou greeted Futaba with slight nod and Futaba could feel his eyes searching into hers, seeking some sort of affirmation.

His dropped his gaze and his long lashes shielded his eyes from Futaba, 'Can I have a moment with you? It would be good if we could talk without you running away.'

Futaba instantly flushed red, she felt at a sudden loss on how to respond to his blunt observation and surprisingly polite request. 'Yeah, let's head over to the park.'

When they have arrived at the park, the sky had darkened significantly as the sun was on its last few marks of the day. Kou took a seat on one swing and spoke first, 'I didn't expect you all to end so late, sorry to delay your trip home.' Futaba took a seat on the next swing and looked at Kou who returned her gaze with a questioning look, 'Are you still mad at me?' His face was a funny sight, he was somewhat pouting as he asked the question and Futaba had to resist the urge to laugh and ruin the supposedly serious mood. She did however, find his expression adorable and thought how she'd pocket this little memory of his without telling him. 'I am,' Futaba replied curtly, she was still trying hard to stifle her laughter.

Kou dropped his head and sighed and when he lifted his head to speak again, Futaba noticed his creased eyebrows. _Ah, he's really worried._

'I'm sorry, I may have been too harsh and may have caused you to interpret my words too strongly. What should I do to repair this?'

Futaba leaned her head against the metal chains of the swings and thought about Kou's proposition, truth be told, she had her own personal reasons for reacting that way. She was flustered by the distance she and Kou shared moments before the argument, and when Kou said those words, she felt that she had been perceived as a nuisance and was annoyed. Her instinct was to lash out at Kou and blame it on him for being ruthless with his words - but she knew that he was trying to warn her to be more careful and not give the wrong impression. _Even if he says I can design my own punishment (though not in this exact words) what am i suppose to say?_

Kou watched the back of Futaba's head anxiously, she had turned away from him when he asked how he can repair this - did that mean that she wanted nothing to do with him anymore? His eyes glazed over as he watched Futaba's back view and pinned for her response, surprising himself slightly on how desperate he was to have a response from her. Her hair was very pretty and soft, as the cold wind weaved through her hair, soft strands danced gracefully in the wind. And then he saw her turn around, and jumped halfway off the swing when she gave a loud painful yelp.

'My hair! My hair! Ahhh, it got caught! Pain!' Futaba was almost in tears as she tried to pull her hair from the creaks of the metal chains which have bit on to her hair. But she had no vision and had much difficulty freeing her hair from the knot.

Kou was by her side in an instant and she felt her face pressed against his lean shoulders. 'Hold on in this position for a minute and try not to move, the more you move the more it'd hurt. I'd help you disentangle your hair, alright?' Futaba gave a soft reply, 'Mm.' She could feel Kou's heartbeat somewhat, it seemed to be beating at a quicker pace. He had his usual cologne on and his cashmere sweater was soft and warm. She guessed he put it on while waiting for her in the chilly weather, and a warmth spread in her heart. Just as soon as they made contact, Kou moved away and released Futaba from his embrace, 'It's done! Your hair is safe.' Futaba could not help but show a disappointed expression, when suddenly Kou's face was inches away and he stared into her eyes earnestly, 'Did it hurt that badly?' Futaba swallowed hard as she stared back into Kou's eyes and tried to read his expression.

'Kou.. I..'

'Hmm?'

'I.. I like.. I like you to join us for our study sessions with your study guides, if you do that tomorrow I'd forget what was said and done before.'

'Oh. Okay.'

Kou stood up quickly and shoved his hands into his pockets and he smiled his nonchalant smile once more at Futaba. He walked back to retrieve his bag and as he faced away from the blushing Futaba he said, 'I'd walk you home. Let's go, the sun has already set.'

_**-End of chapter 5-**_

_Don't forget to give a +fav or +review if you liked the author's effort. Small encouragements like this are power fuels for us! :)_

_And this will continue with a few more chapters, so +follow if you would like to keep reading it! *^^*_

**To my readers:**

Hope you liked the chapter! We're looking from Kou's perspective more often this time round - because we know he's a lovable oxymoron yeah? ^o^ And as usual, Futaba has a soft spot for Kou - but not after punishing him enough for his callous words! And the thing with the swing happens to me very often, so it's really a possible scenario especially given Futaba's carefree nature. We'd read more on Kou's reaction to Futaba's very dubious response towards the end in the next chapter!


	6. Don't let go

It could hardly be considered an addiction, from Kou's perspective.

He was merely enjoying the end of his isolation from Futaba, which was truly a delightful reprise following the prolonged miserable weeks of no contact. He found himself enjoying their bickers and conversations, the sweet ring in her voice and her natural talent to knock down any walls he put up around himself. And recently he felt less inclined to build these complicated barriers between him and the group and realized that there were times when he truly enjoyed their company. And with the influx of activities, namely preparing for the exams and the approaching cultural festival, he stopped frequenting his hideout spot and slowly lost touch with those passing friends who frequently gathered in town to do nothing other than randomly chit chat.

So it was a complete surprise when he ran into some of them one particular evening after a long day at school when they visited the fast food joint after a busy day at school.

'Oh, it's Kou! Wow, haven't seen you in a while man! Where have you been hanging at these days?'

Kou waved back coolly and replied in his usual care less tone, 'Hey man. It's been a while yes.'

Futaba and the rest of the gang took a seat while Kou stayed back to chat with his friends, and Futaba helplessly gazed over her shoulder constantly to check on Kou. Even though there has been a long time gap since he last met up with his friends, they were able to converse just like before and Futaba had gotten curious on the topics they might be chatting about. When she turned to look for the fifth time, she noticed how Kou seemed troubled over a comment one of the boys made, and she was dying to find out what he had said.

A few more exchanges of words and the group departed from the food joint and Kou joined Futaba's group at their seat. Kou wore a noticeably solemn expression and Futaba's curiosity peaked higher, but she thought better and held back the impulse to pound him with her questions. She thought it wiser to let Kou reveal his concerns at his own pace, although she could not help but feel insanely worried - it had been a while since Kou carried such seriousness and he always had a tendency to be pessimistic. The past few weeks have been extremely busy and went by in a flash but nonetheless Futaba definitely caught on Kou's cheerful disposition and enjoyed the pleasant change yet now she worry if their distance will grow once more. She hated the idea of that.

The next few days went past in a flash, and it became apparent that whatever the comment was it was taking its effect on Kou who resume indifference and set himself at a distance. Futaba was getting anxious as time goes by and the lingering curiosity compelled her to the edge of demanding an explanation from Kou. It was however, hardly a question one could just fire at Kou across the library table or over lunch and she stressed over how she could ease the question in without getting Kou into any of his dramatic moods. She had come to realize by now that even though Kou was a guy of very few words, he often interpreted situations intensely and would react with strong emotions.

She liked that side of him very much, yet there were times when she feels that side of him creates an emotional trench between the two of them. It's not a bother for her to go chasing after him and closing their distance bit by bit, but it becomes a difficult thing when Kou closed his mind to everyone else.

It took her a while to get through her internal debates and she finally pluck up enough courage to approach Kou on the issue. And the perfect opportunity was presented to her on a rainy afternoon and the two of them took shelter once more at the little corner near the shrine.

'Kou, has there been anything on your mind lately?' She took a tentative side glance at Kou who expectedly appeared indifferent.

'Hm? How am I different now?'

Futaba clenched her fist and watched Kou's side profile, the unspeakable distance between the two of them was right there before her eyes, but she had no words to describe it. Was it even possible for one to feel something intangible so strongly? But she thought that it must be possible, since her feelings for Kou were overwhelmingly intense at this moment and all she wanted was to jump across the distance and let her feelings reach him.

'I care for you, a lot, Kou. Maybe I do have the habit of intruding into your feelings, getting under your skin but it was never done to make you annoyed. I just – there's always a side of Kou that I do not know of and yet I'm both afraid and curious about it. That day, after you spoke to your friend, Kou had such a lonely expression and yet I did not know why. It scares me, but I want to know. All about Kou, I…'

Tears were falling off her cheeks before she could stop them, and she cursed her weakness internally.

'Sorry! I'm such an idiot, crying when I was trying to explain myself. I'm so, so sorry!'

In a tiny split of a second, she was in Kou's strong and gentle embrace and he held a hand to cradle the back of her head. It was such a gentle gesture, and Futaba felt like her heart was going to break into pieces in that instant.

'You know, I enjoy watching your various and sometimes downright ridiculous expressions, but do you really have to cry when it's pouring out here! Are you trying to flood me with the amount of water we're having at this moment?'

'Huh?' Futaba leaned away from the embrace and showed Kou a perplexed expression. Kou sniggered at her face, just as he was saying it earlier she really was the queen of surprising faces.

'Emotions, they move like water you know. They're always around you, within you, moving slowly and subtly but there would be times when it gets into a strong current and falls like rain or pours down your cheeks like tears. The way it works, it scares me a little sometimes, and I'm really trying my best to walk in the rain even if I have a somewhat irrational fear of floods. That's why sometimes I get to be this strange mood, I'm just trying to work my way out of the rain okay. It's not your fault, stop crying.'

Kou's words were spoken softly and gently, even though Futaba remained clueless as to what it was that bothered him that much she was glad to hear his explanation. In a way, she had been trying her best to walk out of the rain, and his words shone through like the sun. She smiled at that thought, and enjoyed the little analogy.

'Kou, you know how I made that deluded presumption that you were sometimes like a knight in shining armour? I found an even better description – Kou is just like the sun to me! That's why I'm always so persistently following you. Ha! Sorry about that!'

Kou watched Futaba in bewilderment and could not resist laughing out loud in response, just a moment ago she was crying but now she's beaming so radiantly. Somehow, she reminded him of a sunflower.

'Hey, what do you mean when you said it was a deluded presumption? How rude!' And the two of them resumed their cheerful bickering like before.

_**-End of chapter 6-**_

_Don't forget to give a +fav or +review if you liked the author's effort. Small encouragements like this are power fuels for us! :)_

_And this will continue with a few more chapters, so +follow if you would like to keep reading it! *^^*_

**To my readers:**

They're definitely moving along in a new direction! The poor duo is always thrown into dramatic turn of events but I see this as a potential moment for their feelings to coincide before the high drama begins. What do you think was said by Kou's friend that bothered him that much? Well, it's all to be revealed in the next chapter! Thank you for reading and hope you liked the latest update *^^*


	7. Who you are

Futaba could feel spring in her footsteps, she felt instantly relieved once she knew that Kou was not distancing himself from her. That he just had a small problem to deal with, although she was curious about the issue troubling Kou, she can only be an invisible support for him until he feels that the time was right to reveal.

However, she felt her face redden every time she remembered their hug. Looking back, there had been many stolen comforts from Kou and each time he comforted her, she loved the warmth that Kou shared. She had understood so many more things about Kou by now, they were delightful to learn even though during its process Kou had unintentionally caused hurt.

He was extremely thoughtful and insightful to people's emotions, even realizing on her behalf when she was about to hurt the senior who confessed to her.

He can be protective, and would even jump in to save her when she's put in danger.

Although he can be especially sly, giving her these feelings that were never clearly stated but intangibly felt.

And when he smiles, everything lights up and all she can notice is the way his lips curl back. His eyes curve gracefully and a dimple sets into his rosy cheeks. Totally like a baby face expression.

But when he gazes into her eyes inquisitively, she felt him reading her mind like an open book and she never wanted to disconnect.

Those eyes that spoke about everything between them were also capable of hiding everything from her. She could feel Kou holding back his thoughts, his feelings, keeping them hidden and out of sight.

'Why won't you talk to me, Kou?'

_-xxxxxx-_

He walked through the halls and he could still hear the voice of his friend, murmuring those words by his ears. Could he even call them friends? Sure they talked about many things in the night beneath the moon, but daytime would soon follow and they're back to deal with their individual crap at their own pace.

But Futaba was different, she had always been different and even now, she had a unique presence in his life and had always made things different.

She was extremely nosy and invaded every time he was about to pull up the walls around him, but she gets to him nonetheless.

How eager this girl is, to live through his emotions and thoughts so vividly, crying when he's holding back tears and laughing when he's gotten a peek of the sun.

And does she carry sunshine with her wherever she went, blinding his vision with all the energy she possess, like life didn't weigh a thing.

And then he heard them again, those words that may have meant nothing to those friends of his, meant everything to him. Was he really misunderstanding things, everything that he had felt up until now, will they all be gone some day?

_Things such as friendship - didn't you once believed that these were never meant to last. Have you changed now, Kou?_

Was he really a changed man now? Was friendship always meant to be an indulgence that could be lost easily?

Is that what it is between him and Futaba – purely friendship?

_I hardly survived when she started ignoring me and I was on the verge of losing all options when nothing I tried would gain her attention. Is friendship always like this? Can we break down those moments we shared easily, like one would analyze a friendship? When my heart pounded like crazy, it was because I felt incredibly happy to have a friend next to me now? The way she smiled, it drives me insanely happy – and that would be expected in friendships. But –_

His eyes opened wide and his steps faltered and breathing became a little difficult.

She made him happier than anything else in his life right now.

He wanted to scream that realization aloud, but no doubt that would be inappropriate in the hallways at school.

His eyes would always search for her because she mattered the way a lifeline did to him. How can he explain that to her, without creeping her out?

Would she feel the same way as he did?

Never did he expect the words of his friend to shed light on his feelings, he really had change. So that was why he could hardly sit still when she began to ignore him. And why he felt insanely restless when the senior confessed. Why he needed to throw himself in harm's way whenever her carelessness invited trouble.

How ironic, that his friend's senseless suggestion that he was changed by friendship had brought him to realize something quite not the same

Whether he liked it or not, Kou had been changed by the love.

Yes, in truth, all along and always he had been in love with Yoshioka. He loves her, Futaba Yoshioka, since the day they met to the very present where a day does not go past them without them bickering.

He looked out of the window and watched Futaba walk through the yard with her two best friends, his face the shade of rosy pink but that was not a fault of his own, surely it's the sunlight that's making him blush. And he desperately tried to ignore the sound of his flustering heart, certainly there must be a reason for that, like the after effects of drinking that super sweet strawberry milk.

Or maybe, the reason for that, was simply Futaba's radiant smile all along.

_**-End of chapter 7-**_

_Don't forget to give a +fav or +review if you liked the author's effort. Small encouragements like this are power fuels for us! :)_

_And this will continue with a few more chapters, so +follow if you would like to keep reading it! *^^*_

**To my readers:**

This was a relatively short chapter and quite occupied with the inner thoughts of the two characters - so I kept it to a rather simple format. Well there never was a chapter (yet) that shows us what happened when Kou realized his feelings so - ta da! Enjoy!


	8. One step closer

Today would be the beginning of the cultural festival, they would be receiving a great amount of visitors and the air was already buzzing with anticipation. Thinking of the busy day ahead, Kou shut his locker door quietly and sighed unconsciously and was taken aback when saw Futaba by his side frowning at him.

'What's with that ominous sigh Kou! It's the cultural festival and as a planning committee, I thought you would be more excited about this. Or is it that coming to school and meeting me has become a nuisance to you?' She stuck a tongue at Kou playfully and waited for his reaction. Kou's face remained expressionless and Futaba felt a little startled by his lack of reaction, just as she was about to speak his face crunched into one painful expression and he knelt to the grounds. Futaba panicked and fell right next to him to hold his shoulder and carefully examined his face.

'Kou! Kou, are you alright? Are you – ouch!'

Kou took that opportunity to lightly hit her head with his karate hand, as he moved forward get closer to Futaba his eyes bore straight into her eyes and she felt her heart skip a beat. 'Stop making such stupid jokes, Yoshioka-san. You're not that frightening and I can deal with you just fine.' He straightened up and walked away from a dazed Futaba, and just as she was about to recover from her reverie, he turned half circle and stuck a tongue playfully at her. At that one simple gesture, she felt her cheeks burn intensely.

_That Kou! I'd get him for this! Making my heart pound this early into the morning, how merciless is he becoming!_ Futaba walked briskly through the school corridor and headed for their classroom. Surely, she has to change for their role-reversal café event. And she was actually looking forward to wearing a maid costume, but she thought how that would make all her past efforts to seem less girly redundant so she held back that thought. A sinister smile surfaced as the thought of Kou in a maid dress would definitely be a sight to anticipate for!

Just as she finished changing into her outfit, she tucked her cellphone into her front pocket and straightened her bow one last time before she made her first appearance in the classroom. 'Oooh, Futaba-chan you look dashing!' Makita looked at her best friend in admiration, and when Futaba caught a glance of her friend-in-suit she gasped loudly. 'Makita, you're adorable! You're like a small figurine even in this manly clothing, that's just how your feminine charms work!' She pulled Makita closer into a bone-crushing hug and Shuuko smiled gently at her best friends' silly gestures. Both Makita and Futaba turned to stare at Shuuko's smile with their jaws falling wide open, 'Shuu-chan is sooo coooool looking! I'm in love! I'd definitely appoint Shuuko and ignore all the bishounens in the world!'

When they have finally gotten over their excitement, they were greeted by the sight of Kou and Kominato in maid dresses. Kominato made smart comments to ease through that awkwardness as Kou tried to move away from the group at any given opportunity. 'Aww stop running away Kou, you look just like the sister I never had!' Futaba's words spiked his embarrassment and he caught her in a headlock and playfully wrestled with her. 'Alright Kou, that's really unsightly now. A maid who's trying to attempt murder on a dashing butler is hardly advertising worth making so let Futaba go already.' Shuuko's cool and logical words made a dent in Kou's rapture and he let Futaba go. Although a part of him really liked that moment, he could catch a waft of Futaba's shampoo and the thought that she had especially bought the shampoo for him had his pride swelling. But he thought that it would be best to keep his emotions in check and that fact hidden from the group, even though he could already sense Kominato watching him suspiciously.

The rest of the day went by and they were twirled in circles by the never-ending flow of customers. Kou's ex-classmates came to visit and Futaba remembered the girl mentioning her name as Narumi. She thought that Narumi was cute by standards and wondered if there was anything between her and Kou, but Kou laughed at Futaba's silly assumption and explained how Narumi already has a boyfriend in her new school. 'You know what, Futaba? Most cute girls would find suitors waiting at their doorstep, and you, would be the only exception to that no thanks to you boyish character.' He pointed his ice cream spoon at her as he made the observation over their common break time.

'That's just expected rudeness from Kou-chan. Pretty tsundere in a maid costume, I'm sure Kou-chan has plenty of suitors waiting at your doorstep too!' Kou turned pink at Futaba's sarcasm but before he could react with a comeback of his own, Futaba flashed her phone screen at Kou. 'Chiang-chiang! I took a photo of pretty and cute Kou-chan for keepsake! Look at this, if I were to send this out to boys from high-schools nearby I'm sure there'd be a high demand for you!'

Kou dropped his ice cream spoon and chased after Futaba who was too startled to run, and before she knew it, his firm hands caught hers and her phone was surrendered to him instantly. Their faces were inches away once again, and Futaba tried every means to still her hammering heartbeat.

'What should I do to make you delete that photo? Hmm, Futaba-kun, what favors would a maid need to do to have that done?' Kou's deep voice was quiet and low and Futaba could feel a shiver run down her spine and he spoke those mocking words. Even though she knew that he was playing a joke on her, she could hardly calm her shaky nerves! She could smell wafts of chocolate from the ice-cream he had, she wondered how it would taste like.

He moved closer and licked his lips, his eyes closed as their lips drew closer and she closed her eyes to mimic his actions. Then she heard him giggling and realized that a phone screen had replaced Kou's face and she was looking at a photo of her posing before the mirrors in a candid pose.

'If you're not going to delete that photo, then I'd make sure this one goes around the school in huge print outs!' Futaba pounded her fist angrily at Kou, embarrassed to let him know that she was anticipating his kiss and that he had a threat back on her. Kou caught her hands and tried to calm her down with an apology and said how he was just kidding around but that spurred her anger further. Futaba pushed him away angrily and he fell backwards in shock. 'Fine! I'd delete the photo! I'd delete every photo in my phone that contains a photo of Kou! You big fat idiot!'

As her angry words echoed down the hall, Kou watched Futaba run off towards the classroom. His brows furrowed and he cringed as he recalled her words, as he flipped open his phone, he sighed. What was the point of keeping a secret photo of Futaba's face as they were about to kiss, if he was going to make a fool of himself and a very angry woman out of his crush. He was simply, a big fat idiot in maid clothing.

_**-End of chapter 8-**_

_Don't forget to give a +fav or +review if you liked the author's effort. Small encouragements like this are power fuels for us! :)_

_And this will continue with a few more chapters, so +follow if you would like to keep reading it! *^^*_

**To my readers:**

Sorry for the short hiatus! I took forever to decide the future chapters for this fanfic, gosh the development in the recent manga chapters definitely set me into a frenzy! Yet, I have decided to not make Touma nor Narumi a critical character as they were in the manga (so to enjoy the manga in that timeline and I can continue to imagine the development of this OTP if the two love rivals didn't make their appearance) And Kou in tsundere-mode, sure behaves strangely even by his usual standards. Well, I'd go on to explain why Kou acted like the big fat idiot he did, so please keep on reading and supporting! :)

p.s. Sorry to all readers who were anticipating the Touma / Narumi plot-line. I love the way the manga is heading, even in the painful heartbreaking moments when I feel the agony of the characters but I wanted to respect that storyline by the mangaka and have my fanfic in a separate timeline. Hope that explains my POV :) I'd answer questions if there would be any? Love Hanabiaki


	9. I know you are not that person

Clusters of students and visitors filled every corner of the school today. The PA system would holler an announcement every now and then. Otherwise, the corridor was permanently filled with endless laughter and chattering. She took long strides and weaved through the crowd, desperate to get away from her original spot. She had gotten used to his ways of being mean and sarcastic towards her, somewhere in her mind she acknowledges all his doings as a mask of pretense to hide his vulnerable nature. This time round he had taken it too far by mocking her with his pretense and he pushed the usual boundaries of callousness past the point of no return.

_He was making fun of me, taking me to be some smitten girl who would just play along?_

A group of boys watched with keen interest as she walked through the First Year corridors, judging by their unfamiliar faces, she could tell that they do not belong to the school's population.

_So he knew that I liked him, all along, but acknowledges it in such a mocking manner?!_

A group of girls sniggered as she walked past them and she threw a quick glance at them. They were dressed to the nines, and that was a tell-tale sign that they walk on the school grounds with the clear intention of hooking up with a date. Futaba rolled her eyes at one of the girls imitating a butler's speech pattern.

_Why is everything so annoying today? Is pretense the theme of the day?! No! I'm done, I'd never forgive him. EVER!_

A hand grabbed her arm tightly and she spun around to face a disheveled looking version of Kou, far from that haughty demeanor he had just minutes ago. He was desperately trying to catch his breath and it became clear that he ran the entire journey to catch up with her.

'Wait, listen to me, Futaba.' He was still breathless as he forced the words out.

The group of girls from before had gone all quiet, listening to their conversation with keen interest. But Futaba had her mind made up, she swept away Kou's grip and turned to walk on.

'Oh, is this a lover's squabble? I wonder what he sees in this tomboy. Pick me instead, pretty face.'

Futaba made to glare at the commentator, the same girl who mocked her earlier on.

'Well, bite me, pretty face. At least I'm not soaked in make-up, head to toe!'

The girl stepped forward and waved her hand violently, but the slap never made it to Futaba and was stopped promptly by Kou. Futaba was impressed by Kou's gallantry, but she was not ready to forgive him this time.

'Stop saving me Kou, you're just going to ruin things for me in the end, right?'

She turned to walk away but Kou promptly let go of the offending hand and followed closely behind. She made a turn and they entered a quieter walkway and neither of them spoke another word. Futaba felt strangely nervous in the impending silence, but decided that it was a better choice to simply walk on and not face Kou.

_I'm not forgiving him. I'm not forgiving him. I'm not forgiving him._

As she cut around the next corner, they found themselves in the preparation corner of their classroom where they stocked the supplies for their café. Futaba picked up an apron and her nervous fingers fumbled with the strings as she tried to make a knot. Before she could get it nicely tied, Kou stepped closer and took hold on the strings as he tied a clean knot behind her neck. His warm fingers grazed the back of her neck and Futaba shuddered involuntarily.

_I just had to go and make a fool of myself!_

She knocked Kou backwards in a sudden hurl and Kou fumbled a few steps back from her. Futaba could tell from his expression that he felt slightly hurt, but she was torn between the feelings he unconsciously invoke in her and his careless ways to demeaning them.

'Just, STAY – AWAY – FROM – ME! Stop trying to save me, or jumping in randomly like a knight in shining armor because you have made it perfectly clear to me that you're not! Okay?'

Kou was about to break his silence when Futaba tore away and ran into the classroom, leaving Kou once again dumbstruck and frustrated.

Minutes later, Kou re-entered the café with a gloomy expression. Even their friends sensed the tension between them and observed them from a distance. A few girls who visited the café flirted relentlessly with an expressionless Kou while Futaba watched all these with a deadpan look. In the meantime, Kou served tables like a zombie-maid.

'Is this the new theme of your café? It's actually quite refreshing!' A clueless customer asked Kou who replied with nothing.

Just as the café was about to close, a group of boys entered the café and Futaba recognized them immediately. She had walked passed them just earlier in the afternoon. She watched them suspiciously and they chattered excitedly once they spotted Futaba standing in a corner.

'We found her! At long last, I'm going to win my girl. Just wait and see – '

The boastful kid walked right into Kou who wore e menacing look and glared at the boy with such intensity that his other friends backed away carefully. Kou had his arms crossed in front of him and he was taller than the boy, making him look quite the figure despite the maid uniform.

'She's not going to be your girl. Now back off.'

The boy swallowed a loud gulp but regained his confidence quickly despite Kou's overbearingness, he snorted before replying, 'Oh, you're so wrong. The fact that I found her once again, spells destiny for us dude. Besides, she's clearly not interested in you.'

Kou turned in Futaba's direction but she was not even looking at them. She coolly collected used glasses from a table and walked towards the cleaning zone. Kou scowled and sighed in despair, knowing that the anger that fuelled such behavior in her was beyond all past experiences.

'Yeah, fine. Maybe you're right. But that means she isn't interested in you either, shorty boy.'

Futaba let out a laugh unconsciously and all eyes in the room turned to watch her. Kou grinned haughtily for he had guessed that she would be listening to their conversation intently after all.

'And frankly, little one, it does not matter to me whatever destiny has spelled out for you two. Because I'm not giving up someone I love to a shrimp like you or anyone else in this case.'

He added the last bit the moment he recalled the wrath Futaba had exhibited towards him the entire day.

Loud gasps echoed throughout the room simultaneously at Kou's abrupt confession of love and a tray of used glass shattered to pieces. True to Kou's clever assumption, Futaba was listening to their conversation after all.

_**-End of chapter 9 -**_

_Don't forget to give a +fav or +review if you liked the author's effort. Small encouragements like this are power fuels for us! :)_

_And this will continue with a few more chapters, so +follow if you would like to keep reading it! *^^*_

**To my readers:**

Hello once again! I hope you love this chapter too, I was tossing in excitement as I wrote this in prepration for the grand finale. Yes, I bring forth a slightly sad news - the next chapter would (most probably) be the last chapter for this fanfic. I had originally intended it to be a very short story but the ideas just kept stopping me from doing that. Also, I have to admit that time is not quite enough for me these days and I find myself struggling to find enough time just to sleep and the health keeps slipping off the chart. So I need to re-group and re-coup but I PROMISE! That I would try my utmost to make the next chapter a satisfying end for all my readers.

This was an absolutely fun chapter to write, I must admit. With the tables turned and a totally different scenario to the original story plot - I thought it would be interesting to watch our dear Kou without the guilt trips by Narumi. (is that her name? She's quite forgetable sometimes, I voluntarily forget her too) I hope this gives you a refreshing take on the story, and I understand how frustrating it is to watch our OTP go back and forth from ordeal to ordeal but I love the poetic sadness Sakisaka-sensei brings to her characters too. I hope you'd support the original and all fanfics too, because for us writers, a reader's support means the world to us!

THANK YOU MY BELOVED READERS! *hugs* I need to rest now, please wait for my next and final installment *winks*


	10. In this moment

'And frankly, little one, it does not matter to me whatever destiny has spelled out for you two. Because I'm not giving up someone I love to a shrimp like you or anyone else in this case.'

The sound of crashing glass resounded throughout the classroom and everyone wheeled around to watch a fumbling Futaba-chan in slight amusement. Kominato was scratching his head with a pen, Yuri pulled the hems of her apron nervously while Shuuko drew loops of circles on her order-taking notepad. Futaba could feel the pressure from the overwhelming attention and her fingers and eyes had so much difficulty coordinating with each other that she eventually cut her finger. She gave a loud gasp in pain as a trickle of blood seeped onto her white apron.

Kou pushed back the contending suitor and rushed to her side immediately and placed his hand gently on her wrist to pull her behind him gently towards the infirmary. He could feel the curious eyes tracking them, and he noted with a haughty grin when he spotted the obnoxious contender looking dumbstruck. Much to his relief, there was very little resistance from Futaba which was one of his major concerns considering her very, very bad mood formerly.

When they reached the infirmary, he plucked up courage and turned to face Futaba, only to end up blushing red when he saw Futaba's expression. Her head was hanging low and her soft features were accentuated by the orange light streaming in from the sunset. Her cheeks flushed pink and her lips moist, Kou could trace a slight curve on her lips despite her concealment. She was looking downwards and it only made her long lashes more attractive, casting a gentle shadow over her radiant complexion. Was she always this pretty and feminine looking? Was she not the tom-boy who had always had something to say about him and could not leave him alone and made her presence so felt that whenever she was not there to nag at him, he felt restless and unmotivated to do anything at all.

Overcome with urge, Kou leaned forward and kissed her without further ado. He can no longer take 'No' for an answer, or stand being forced apart from her anymore. Her lips would become his paradise, her quirks and little habits are now impossible to ignore and he's hopelessly addicted to her every move. If he had a choice, and he vowed in the split second of the kiss that he would do everything, anything he had to – just to make this go on forever.

He could feel Futaba shudder when their lips touched, her hands gripped his arms in response to his surprising act and slowly, she began to respond to his passionate kiss. He began to feel her closer than ever, and surrendered all his senses to enjoy the blissfulness in this kiss. He could taste the sweetness of milk tea. He could feel the soft sunlight and her warmth melting together as they touched. He could give up everything to hold on to this moment forever, he moved his hands to her back and pulled her even closer and his arms crossed to lock her in his embrace.

It was such a terrible thing to do, wanting to have her completely to himself and not let anyone else have a share of this blissful moment so that it belongs completely to them. She gasped at his sudden possessive move, and he kissed her nose gently, hoping to let her feel just how much he treasured her. Despite all his conflicting actions in the past, he really wanted to treasure this important person's existence and not let her leave him behind again. That would be too lonely to endure. Even though he had tried to push her away so he would never have to feel emotionally attached to anyone again but he still hated the loneliness that ensues.

Futaba closed her eyes as Kou kissed the tip of her nose gently, and despite the fact they were kissing furiously just minutes ago, this small act of sweetness made her blush even redder. Kou kissed her soft eyelids the moment they closed, and she could feel her legs lose strength and clung onto Kou for support. Kou held her even closer than before and kissed her on her lips once more, the kiss this time was soft and almost innocent and made her stomach flutter helplessly. She opened her eyes to take a peek at Kou, and was surprised to see Kou blushing pink like a berry. She snickered softly during their kiss which prompted Kou to back away to look at Futaba questioningly and Futaba missed their closeness almost immediately.

'Sorry, did I make you feel uncomfortable?' A blushing Kou asked Futaba as he tried to look her in the eye.

'Un-uncomfortable? Kou, that- that way of saying things is far too embarrassing so stop it already!' She unconsciously pushed Kou away as she fumbled with her response and regretted immediately as she spotted hurt in his eyes. She pulled Kou closer just as he was about to move away before blurting out her thoughts, 'Why would you worry about that silly thing! I want to know more, I want to know what you were thinking when you did that and what you meant by what you said earlier! But all you wanted to know was – was – how much I liked that kiss?!' She buried her face in her hands as they turned red unconsciously and Kou forgot all the hurt and started to blush an equal red.

'Argh, I cannot believe this. What am I doing, behaving like a smitten schoolboy, I'm so uncool!' Kou crossed his arms at that exclamation and peeked at Futaba from the corner of his eyes.

Futaba looked at him in amusement before replying in her usual sarcastic voice, 'Huh? Kou, stop acting like an adult when you are still a schoolboy, in fact aren't you a schoolboy in maid's uniform today?' The both of them started laughing uncontrollably and Kou moved closer without Futaba noticing.

Before she had realized it, he put his forehead against hers and whispered in a low and gentle voice, 'I like you, Yoshioka. I meant every word I said earlier, and I have a feeling that we will never be a couple without a few arguments here and there but despite all that happened between us, I really want to treasure you.' He held her hands in his and waited patiently for her response.

'You are so hard to figure out. And you're fickle. And you have a mean mouth. And you called me ugly before,' the words came tumbling out of Futaba's lips helplessly and tears began to well in her eyes. Kou felt a stinging pain in his heart at the sight of her tears and the sound of her words, so he held her face in his palm gently. Futaba steeled herself and continued to speak, 'but despite all of that, I'm helplessly in love with you, alright? How can I pretend that I don't love you?'

Kou smiled and pulled her into another gentle embrace. 'Okay, I get it I'm a terrible person but aren't we both hopelessly attracted to each other, hm? Futaba, would you please go out with me? I'd be there for you despite your terribly tomboy like behavior and lack of gentleness, okay?'

Futaba pounded her fist against his chest as she nodded in response while her tears fell over her red cheeks uncontrollably.

How can you reject a love that was spelled out in the stars so many years ago? Love is never perfect, but the act of loving someone despite of imperfction, makes it perfect. And this was especially true for these two fumbling lovers.

_**-End of series -**_

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**To my readers:**

Here it is, the ending to the ten chapter fanfiction I have been working on *tearful emotional music plays now* and I'm really glad that people have been giving me many reviews and comments to improve. There has been plenty of development in the actual manga itself and I feel that a happy ending is definitely what I want for my two characters here! I love them very much, although Kou sometimes drive me insane so I'm giving him a hard time in this fanfiction sometimes *HEH* Hope you'd like this other vulnerable side to Kou!

And Futaba is a straight-forward girl that always speak on what's on her mind, but despite all that she's helplessly kind to everyone around her - especially Kou! So Kou had to work a little harder to win her back, but I bet it will be worth it :D

Do you like the way the story ended? There has been too much heartache in the main series, so I wanted to provide an alternative and make the fans (like myself too) fweeeeeel haaaapppinessss! So here's the happy ending I've been dying to give them *GRINS*

I will still have a few other fanfictions ongoing, you can go to my profile to continue reading and I look forward to seeing you all around!


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